A problem with Gun Control

Many people (liberals?) try to claim that we need greater gun control/s.
Apparently we need to take all the guns away.

Wait a minute, WHY??

"Well" they say, "guns are used in crime all the time." Then I respond, "but Guns are also used to STOP crime all the time."

(Mr. Lib) "But Kids are always getting hurt or killed because of access to guns."
(me) " but kids are hurt or killed in lots of other ways too."

(Mr. Lib) "But we can control guns."
(me) "how?"

(Mr. Lib) "by taking them away."
(me) "who will you take them from??"

(Mr. Lib) rolling eyes "the criminals and the children."
(me) Patiently "And HOW will you do that?"

(Mr. Lib) " by making laws to take them away."
(me) "but aren't we talking about taking these away from criminals?... If that is the target for those laws how will it make a difference? the only people who will obey the law is the LAW ABIDING (A.K.A. NON CRIMINALS) people. the criminals aren't going to care, they already break the law. As for the Children if we are so intent on protecting them oughtn't we to take away all things that might cause pain or death? like rocks, sidewalks, Bicycles, sticks, cars, walls, swimming pools (or all water for that matter), baseballs, baseball bats, Electrical outlets, kites, ropes, cords, knives, molesters, abusers, Bullies, Roads, etc...?"

See there is the whole issue.
The only people you are punishing with gun laws are the law abiding, the only people you are saving (or helping) are the criminals.
guns are used in defense all the time by all sorts of law abiding citizens.

"Studies indicate that firearms are used over 2 million times a year for personal protection, and that the presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents crime in many instances. Shooting usually can be justified only where crime constitutes an immediate, imminent threat to life, limb, or, in some cases, property."

I would like to give some examples, I found these through the Armed citizen articles online and in the American Hunter and the American Rifleman.

Though he held the door shut against a 20-year-old intruder for as long as he could, police say an 84-year-old homeowner then grew tired. In desperation, he yelled for his wife to retrieve his .45-caliber handgun. He fired one shot at the intruder, who will be arrested pending his release from the hospital. “You could tell [the homeowner] was devastated,” Hancock County, Miss., Sheriff’s Investigator Andre Fizer said of the 911 tape, “You could tell he was scared.” (The Sun Herald, Biloxi, MS, 07/29/08)

Or how about...

Police say a family was unloading groceries when three armed men approached and demanded money. When the father said he had nothing to give them, one assailant said, “Get the baby!” Fearing for his child, the father drew a handgun and opened fire on the men, who briefly returned fire before running away. One of the robbers crawled away as if shot until he was able to join his accomplices. They sped away in a black SUV and were being sought by police. No members of the family, including the baby, were injured. (KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ, 07/07/08)

Or maybe...

A landlord was horrified when his tenant was victimized-raped by a convicted sex offender. In addition to repairing a damaged window and installing security devices, the landlord bought the tenant a shotgun. The latter move probably saved her life. Just a week later, as police prepared to file charges against the rapist, he returned to the scene of the crime. Likely angry his victim had gone to the authorities, the rapist cut the power to the house and crashed through the basement door. But the woman inside was not about to be a victim again. She fired her shotgun for the first time, killing her rapist. "I'm glad I had something to protect me," the woman said. "When your life is in danger, you just do what you have to do." (Southeast Missourian, Cape Girardeau, MO, 11/01/08)

Dean Woodling was stopping by his father's property when, according to police, he saw a robber loading a truck with stolen items. Woodling, who is a hunter, had a shotgun in the vehicle. "I jumped out with the shotgun as he was coming out of the barn," Woodling explained. "To say he was scared was an understatement," Woodling, who has a concealed-carry permit and likes to keep a firearm handy, held the suspect at gunpoint until police arrived. "The way the world is, it's like American Express," said Woodling. "I never leave home without it. Police cannot be everywhere all the time." (Pocono Record, Stroudsburg, PA, 11/14/08)

Brian Berthiaume was walking his dog when he saw a large man acting suspiciously. The man had entered the neighbor's garage through the garage door, which construction workers had accessed earlier in the day, but Berthiaume decided home renovation was not this man's goal. Police say Berthiaume feared for his neighbor, a woman with two young children, so he ran home for his .40-caliber pistol and told his girlfriend to call police. When he returned, the suspect was carrying away a large saw. He confronted the man, who was already on probation for burglary. After a brief standoff, the 240-pound suspect sprawled out on the ground and waited for police. Berthiaume's neighbor lauded his actions, saying, "One of the reasons my family has stayed in New Orleans [following Hurricane Katrina] is because of neighbors who watch out for you, like Brian." (The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, LA, 11/13/08)

***********
Mark C. Johnson had been arrested 33 times since 1986, including charges of robbery, larceny and battery, according to law enforcement records. Some would suggest he should have been in jail. Unfortunately for sixth-grade reading teacher Juanita Enzor, he hoped to prey upon yet another victim. Police say Enzor, who lives alone, heard Johnson burst through her front door. Grabbing her gun, Enzor hid in the bedroom, and when Johnson entered the room, she shot him. Johnson attempted, albeit briefly, to attack Enzor before falling dead. (St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, FL, 10/24/08)

***********
Alejandro Salinas was paying for his gas when the clerk warned him he'd seen several suspicious men outside. On his guard, Salinas walked to his truck, but before he could close the door, one of the men put a gun to his neck. "Get out of the truck. I'm going to take it and I'm going to kill you," the suspect said, according to police. But Salinas executed a classic tactical move: In a fast, fluid motion, he pushed away his assailant's gun while drawing his own 9 mm pistol and shooting the assailant twice. The wounded suspect fired once into the air as he fell to the ground. His accomplices grabbed him and took him to a hospital, where he died. Salinas has a concealed-carry permit. (The Monitor, McAllen, TX, 11/10/08)

***********
There were about 15 people enjoying a game of bingo at a gaming hall when a masked man wielding a shotgun ran into the room. The armed robber fired a round into the ceiling and demanded money. According to police, that's when bingo hall manager Chad England decided to take action. England retrieved a pistol from an office and shot the masked man, possibly preventing several tragedies. The suspect died en route to the hospital. (Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola, FL, 10/25/08)

And the episodes go on and on... There is nowhere enough room here to post them all.

While I do NOT condone trying to interfere with an officer in the process of carrying out his duties, or with citizens trying to place themselves in harm's way without cause. there are hundreds of examples of citizenry coming to the aid of officers (or other citizens) and being an asset helping to bring justice and maintain the peace.

All these accounts would not exist, and many lives would be lost, if not for the right to bear arms that is guaranteed to us in the constitution.
Taking away the Guns will NOT stop any of the criminals out there. most of the crimes I see in these reports the assailant/criminal doesn't even start out with a gun, just greater strength or maybe another kind of a weapon. But in each case, whether the criminal had a gun or not, the possession of a gun by the "victim" resulted in a law abiding citizen surviving.

(all the examples given are derived from "The Armed Citizen" articles online and/or in various magazine publications such as American Rifleman and American Hunter.)


http://www.armed-citizens.com

I am greatly upset.

I know this is old news but do you all remember the time that three of Oakland, CA's police officers were shot and killed? All in the apprehension of a convicted criminal (who ended up dying)
There were three points that really made me mad about the events that happened there. And I want to bring them up real quick before I have to wait to much longer.

O.K. so ...

1. That the "system allowed for a convicted VIOLENT criminal to be out where he could be causing more harm in the first place I found alarming.

2. That a Radio talk show host saw fit to belittle the family of the convicted criminal, and he also tried to blame said family for the way this guy turned out, when they tried to apologize. That Really ticked me off. (like you wouldn't believe... but more on this later.)

3. The rallies and marches of the people stating that the VIOLENT CRIMINAL was a hero for standing up to the authorities Now THAT one, Well I was totally P.O.ed.

going back...
For those of you, conservative (like the radio talk show guy) or Liberal (like those trying to pass the hate speech laws), who want to try passing the blame onto the people around the criminal/s for the criminal's behavior. Listen Up!

This is ridiculous. while some people may be "products of their environment" we have got to stop trying to blame EVERYONE for one person's screw ups.

for example. the Family of the violent criminal in this story did NOT put the gun in his hand and tell him he had to go kill cops. HE CHOSE TO DO THAT. and we cannot be held accountable for every action everyone else has. If you maintain otherwise then I guess that means that ALL of us ought to be executed.
All of us participate in this society (or others around the world.) ALL societies have some level of criminal behavior. thus all society is responsible for or contributing to the raising of Criminals and therefore ALL those who participate in those societies must be punished equally right next to the criminals.

The only way to end it is to execute all people. (this is actually NOT what I want, it is just where LOGIC takes us with the arguments offered by others.)

This means we cannot hold someone at fault for talking about something when someone else takes that idea and runs out to commit a crime. Many people hear many things all the time MOST of us do not run out and commit crimes.

Now the last point... It steams me to think that police officers go out there every day to try to protect us ALL from the criminal elements but when they try to do their job they are vilified.

Those officers had every right to live. They gave their lives in sacrifice. Then some elements of society said they were bad.
Wait, They were bad for trying to protect you from a CONVICTED VIOLENT CRIMINAL?????

They are bad for standing between you and a man who would steal from you or rape you or kill you???
If that is really the way you feel maybe we ought to transport all the violent criminals to an isolated Island. we'll send you too that way you can enjoy the freedom from authority that keeps you safe from those criminals. then we will see how you like it.

Racism 2000 and beyond-----

Recently I got into A bit of a spat with my Cousin. I thought I would share my view (and hers) here.

A little background I received (and forwarded) an Email from a friend. the Email was attributed as being a statement by Michael Richards (Kramer of Seinfeld) in court when he was defending himself against charges of racism and hate speech.
My cousin took umbrage at some of the points in the email proving to me that she didn't see what was being said but rather she saw what she chose to interpret as a hateful attitude.

Yes that's right I am saying she missed the point.


I think I see part of our problem here. I believe you are reading more into that email then is really there.
You are seeing this as an issue of race, I see this as an issue of pride. The whole idea of that email was to try to show that we ought to have the right to be proud of our heritage as much as anyone else.
IT WAS NOT AN ATTACK AT ANY OTHER RACE.


The point in the message, was that minorities often/usually get special treatment and behavior. This isn’t against any one minority (or even multiples) so much as an out lashing at a society that allows this stuff to happen.

First off the title was about white pride. This is about me having the right to be proud of my race period end of story. I deserve the right to be proud of my race as do you and as does everyone else.

The question is asked…

“I have been wondering about why Whites are racists, and no other race is.....”

This is not an attack against any race this is a question WHY AM I RACIST FOR BEING PROUD TO BE WHITE OR WHATEVER BUT ANY ONE ELSE ANYONE ELSE WHO DISPLAYS SIMILAR FEELINGS FOR THEIR RACE IS O.K.? or just being human?

The point is along the lines of We, as a society, are ready and willing to prosecute any white man for any offense real or imagined but ANY one who makes the same offense or worse against a white is given a pass. This is not as much about race, as it is being about people ready to jump on the P.C. bandwagon and insist that whites are evil. Back to the Email.

“There are African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, etc..

And then there are just Americans. You pass me on the street and sneer in my direction... You call me 'White boy,' 'Cracker,' 'Honkey,' 'Whitey,' 'Caveman'..... and that's OK.”

This does not slam any race it asks why am I being treated poorly while everyone else isn’t and in fact they are given the right to a special title. But I have to endure epithets.

“But when I call you [names]You call me a racist.”

(editors note here. the fact that I had to edit the slang here for the "minorities" but the white epithets pass muster prove the point in itself)

This point follows up stating if I try to use epithets like you do I am evil.

“You say that whites commit a lot of violence against you... so why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live?”

Here the point is being made that the claims that white people are the primogenitors of all the violence but the areas that are the most dangerous are those where whites don’t choose to live.
And before you make the argument that I know is on your mind right now… There is the opportunity for all people to chose to live where they want.
Colin Powell, Bill Cosby, Will Smith, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Martin Lawrence, Wanda Sykes, Denzel Washington, Thomas Sowell, even Martin Luther King Jr. made a choice of where to live.
So can all the others here… “oh but they are all famous and special Cases”… right? Well what about my former Boss from Tusayan McDonalds? Or the bus driver/former U.S.M.C. D.I. who I worked with. Or the single mother of a student who rode my buss… they all made a choice too. (The mom moved to AZ from Tennessee!)

They have a choice… more so than I, in where they will live. They have access to special government grants that I cannot get to. They have more scholarships and government grants offered to them than I get. So they have more opportunities; or at least the same opportunities as me.

See the whole of the email I sent was stating I have a right to be proud of who I am. I reread the whole email just now and I see absolutely no racism being directed at anyone. That you see it worries me about your perceptions.

The points it brings up about other races, and what they have, is to make the point that All those races get preferential treatment as outlined in the email to begin with, except for whites.
In other words, our society will bend over backward for any minority! BUT anyone who is white gets the shaft.
This observation is NOT racist towards anyone it is pointing out that we are being discriminated against. Just the same as the observation made 250 years ago that most African Americans were slaves wasn’t racism towards whites but a statement of fact.

the only "Racism" being pointed out in that fact is that the whites were discriminating against African Americans. well the "racism" pointed out in the other fact is towards whites.

Your original response defended the rights of minorities, which is fine but again it is at the expense of another group. (Whites)

You said

“okay. BET is one channel on the dial. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE OTHER CHANNELS ARE???”

Last I saw the entire spectrum of races can be in, on or watch any other channel. I see George Lopez, Will Smith and all other people of all races on all channels. ONLY BET aims directly at any one particular race.

“every day is white people day, every holiday is a christian holiday,”

No last I checked there is NOT any day out there for white pride day! If there is I need to know about it because I ought to be allowed to celebrate it too. And as for the “holidays” being all-Christian.
First this is not about Christianity. This is about how whites are being discriminated against racially.
Second, This month we had Cinco De Mayo, Mothers day and Memorial Day.
NONE of those are Christian holidays.

“every college was a white college til it was integrated.”

This is not about what was, this is about what is.

“ghettoes are dangerous because people resort to crime when they're under that kind of pressure.”

Again I have to point out many of these people (note I did NOT say all of them) live there by choice. They could move OR they could improve their communities… it has been done before.

“black people WERE excluded from miss america-- and from EVERYTHING ELSE-- back when we had SEGREGATION. if a black person kills a white person, chances are they'll be prosecuted, which is more than could be said back in the days when black people were lynched without consequence.”

Again this is not about what WAS this is about what is.

And Finally…

“ a little perspective? PLEASE don't listen to ignorant people like this.”

So Here, I am apparently (according to you) completely wrong. In every way shape or form, and so is anyone else who thinks the same thing. For thinking we ought to have the same rights as oh say ANY person of ANY race other than white.


This isn’t just about me. We want equality. Period. That anyone would be offended is proof that the argument given is valid.

Democracy, or Republic?

Many People like to tout that America is a democracy, the problem is that technically no it is not. And it was never intended to be.

Benjamin Franklin once was quoted as saying, "This new government is a republic, if you can keep it.”

Of course there is a point there, IF YOU CAN KEEP IT. even while creating it they knew it could be fragile and if the people didn't stand up for it and defend it then it would disintegrate to something much less.

I like the joke that James Bovard had to say...

Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. Liberty is two wolves attempting to have a sheep for dinner and finding a well-informed, well-armed sheep.

See a constitutional republic, like what we supposedly live in here, allows rights or LIBERTY for everyone... minority as well as majority.

Our founding fathers were wise enough to see the need for such a setup. It is firmly established in the Constitution!

"Section 4 - Republican government

The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence."

They established three branches of government in order to keep the government from being abusive.

So, O.K. time for our lesson of the day.
The U.S. Government consists of three branches the Executive, (the president) the Legislative, (Congress) and the Judicial (The Supreme Court). The President "runs" the country the Congress makes the rules and the Supreme court is to make sure that the rules made by the other two do not infringe on our rights guaranteed in the Constitution.

Then Like President Abraham Lincoln said we are a government "of the people By the people and For the people." The PEOPLE are supposed to determine the level of governance they have.

The Declaration of Independence States,

"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

O.K. so now you are armed with some basic education. Now we can start looking into other things.

My first Politically challenging post. (here)

My first post I wish to talk about A real problem I have.

Political Bullies.
Particularly the ones who are liberals. Don't get me wrong, I know there are bullies and bully tactics amongst conservatives, BUT the worst bullying I EVER saw in a political venue was displayed BY Liberals.

These people act like everyone has to let them have special treatment and rights.
They demand their "rights" and privileges but they in turn deny the very basic of rights to anyone else.

By the way, This does happen in my own family. the liberal sorts in my family are very quick to tell me how I am wrong if I start talking about conservative ideas that make sense. (some of my own family have even threatened me... yes THREATENED.)

I once read a liberal's posting, the guy who made the posting declared that all the people in the country were useless, absolutely useless, unless they were a college graduate, A Liberal Democrat and Politically correct. he even went as far as to declare that ALL other citizens of America were his (and other liberal democrat's) Pets.
That's right if you do not believe the same as him, if you are not as educated (he was a professor) Then you are no better than the fish in his aquarium, or his cat.

Thing is several other Liberals responded to his post AGREEING with his view point.

Is this the plan that our founding fathers had? I mean C'mon.
I am proud of our founding fathers and, in the future, I hope to point out some of the ways that we seem to have strayed from their ideal/s.